DRIVERS FOR DRIVERS

France’s Focal and the UK’s Naim Audio came together in 2011 under the holding group Vervent Audio, but the connection with Bentley Motors predates the merger, going back to a Bentley-Naim collaboration from 2008, developing hi-fi sound systems for Bentley’s production cars — a venture into automotive audio has long been de rigeur for audio brands with an eye to upmarket kudos.

More recently the collaboration has borne fruit in the home audio market, with various ‘Bentley’ editions. The most recent pair include a special ‘Naim Mu-so for Bentley Special Edition’ based on the Mu-so 2nd Generation wireless speaker, with a special wood finish produced from Ayous sustainable African hardwood, along with the pictured Radiance closed-back headphone, featuring distinctive Bentley design elements including teh famous ‘wings’ and copper accents drawn from the Bentley Mulliner Bacalar model, while the earcups are finished in Pittards gloving leather. Pittards has been crafting leather in Somerset, England, since 1826 (Spitfire pilots wore Pittards gloves). The elegance of it all doesn’t quite extend to the product naming, which is given the extended title of ‘Focal for Bentley Radiance Closed-Back Headphones’.

They retail here for $1999. More info: www.busisoft.com.au